I want women reading this to know what symptoms I may have overlooked so you too can become just a bit more informed for yourselves. We have been blasted with different media over the years.... do a self-exam. Even the "get a breast buddy" method has been widely publicized. Oh, as we know, there are always lots of buddy volunteers out there! But seriously, I do feel that the self-exam has merit. It just needs to be expanded a bit.
I have been doing self-exams for a long time. Then a few weeks ago I noticed that my left breast was starting to change. Only slightly. It was becoming slightly smaller than the other one. I noticed it was turning slightly to the left. Hmm.... I starting thinking "getting older" is starting to take its toll. After all, I turned 53 in March and as my Dad would say, I'm not a spring chicken anymore! Then I switched to thinking menopause, which I have been going through for a while now. I noticed my deodorant wasn’t working very well any more on the left side but was still fine on the right side. I had a couple of "sensitive" spots on my spine. By themselves these last two items didn’t make much sense and certainly not every woman will experience them. Then I did a self-exam. At first I did it the way they tell you…. one breast at a time. I didn’t feel any problem. Then laying down, I crossed my arms over each other over my chest so that my right hand was over my left side and my left hand was over my right side. Using my finger tips on each hand I systematically inspected and COMPARED the exact same locations on each breast at the same time until I had examined both breasts completely. And there it was. Then I sat up and did it again. There it was again.
I was confused at first. I have always thought a lump would be very recognizable. After talking with several woman since finding the lump, I have found that there is a general preconceived idea that a lump will feel like a well defined roundish hard item that can’t be missed. Think about it. What is your perception of what a lump will feel like? In my case it actually felt more like a tight muscle or a tight piece of tissue inside the breast. Plus, it actually felt slightly soft or pliable. By itself, only one breast being examined at a time, I didn’t realize it shouldn’t be there. It was only with the comparing of both at the same time, that I realized it was a sign of a problem.
Sure enough. I immediately went in for a mammogram, (oh, wasn’t that fun…but I sure am glad I did it!). The mammogram confirmed I was right. It was indeed what they call a lump and not only did I have one, I had two. A few days later they removed the lumps and did the biopsy. Two days later I had the results. Now, I am not saying that all lumps will feel like mine did. And that is exactly my point. Be aware of ANYTHING that doesn't feel right or feels slightly different. And please, when doing a self-exam, take it a little further. Do a comparison exam as well. Also, pay close attention to other signs that just don’t seem to add up to anything. They just might add up to something much bigger than you could ever imagine and being aware just might save your life someday.
For those who are either diagnosed with breast cancer or know someone that is, my heart and hopes of only the best goes out to you. Survivors are becoming the norm. We, too, shall join that group.
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